Duplex container.



.E. B. GALLAHER.

DUPLEX CONTAINER.

APPLIC I l 18- y1 ,290,965. Patented Jau. 14, 1919.

EDWARD B. GALLAHER, OF NORWALK, CONNECTICUT.

DUPLEX CONTAINER.

Application led .Tuly 1918. Serial No. 245,099.

To` all whom t may concern.'

Be itknown that I, EDWARD B. GALLAHER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Norwalk, county of Fairfield, and State of'- Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Duplex Containers, of which the following is a description.

This invention has reference to boxes or containers for various commodities and, particularly, has reference to a medium by which valve grinding compounds in several grades may be packed or stored, displayed and dispensed to users in convenient packv ages l,and quantities.

Among the objects of the invention may be noted the following: to provide a box or container for various commodities which is simple, inexpensive to produce, eflicient for the purposes, -and capable of carrying two grades of the same classof merchandise, or different classes. of merchandise or substances; to provide a duplex package or con,- tainer in which a valve 'grinding composi- Ytion in two grades, having reference to coarseness and lineness, may be acked and conveyed to the general public or use in a convenient and compact form; to provide a medium,` for holding valve grinding compounds or compositions, by means of which the contents is prevented from wastage, ac-

cidental spilling, can be preserved and projected. from grit,A dust, dirt, and other foreign substances, and by means of which, when the contents ofone part of the medium is being used, the other vpart can be kept covered and clean; to provide a duplex box or container of such form that it maybe placed or put away in the tool-kit of an` automobile, either` in flat form or doubled into compact form, according to the size or shape of thespace or .compartment in which it is to be stored; to .provide a medium, such as noted .in the foregoing, which, when doubled into smaller or compact form, can be made to retain such form and the contents used from first one end and then the other with all the advantages set forth inthe foregoing; to provide aV duplex can, box or container for various substances, such as a valve grinding composition, which primarily and normally has a flat form, but which can be folded into cylindrical form so as to produce a compact and smaller package the contents of which can be extracted from opposite ends; to provide a box or container, such as set forth in the foregoing which is convenient to handle, can be handled without soiling the hands, and which enables the user to utilize the entire contents without waste; and to provide a duplex container which can be'readily secured temporarily and detachably to a card or rack for display and advertising purposes,

and which card may be used as a separating medium in the carton in which quantities are packed for transporta-tion.

With the above objects in view, and others which will be detailed during the course of this description, my invention consistsv in the parts, features, velements and combinations thereof' hereinafter described and claimed.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan. 14;, 1919. y

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, .I have wherein: n

Figure 1 1s an elevatlon of a duplex'strucprovided drawings ture embodying a form of the invention which is deemed sufficient 'to disclose its nature, one end of the figure being broken away to show details;

Fig. 2 is a top plan of, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the structure when doubled into compact, cylindrical form;' Fig. 4 is a top plan showing a plurality of containers on a display or sample card; and

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of Fig. 4.

Referring to thedrawings, the numeral 1 indicates'the base of the duplex structure,^2

oneof theboxe's or receptacles, 3 the cover thereof, 4 the companion and similarbox or receptacle, and 5 the cover thereof.

The base or'connecting medium` 1 is, preferably, formed of a single strip of thin, fiexible, metal of a size and shape adapted to support the two boxes or receptacles, and, at its opposite ends, conforms to the circumference or periphery of the boxes or receptacles, thus avoiding sharp edges or corners. The base 1 is provided transversely, midway between its ends, with va suitable medium 6 by which to indicate where and how it may be folded or bent if desired. The medium 6 may be' merely a markon the surface, or it f A may be a groove, rib or depression, as shown` in Fig. 1. The metal s hould be sufficiently heavy or stiff tol support the filled boxes without bending whenthe container is held by one end; but, thin and light enough to readily bend on the median line 6` when light pressure is producedfupon one or the other enrll thereof to bend one box back against the ot er.

The boxes or receptacles may be secured to the opposite ends of the base or connecting medium in any way which is found to be convenient, expeditious, and `to be sutliciently strong, as, Jfor example, by spot soldering. Preferably, the two boxes or receptacles are spaced apart sufiiciently on the base, as shown in Figs. l and 2, relatively to the medium 6, to enable the caps or covers to be readily applied and removed without interfering with each other. As shown in the drawings, the boxes or receptacles are, at their free ends, screw-threaded, as at 7, and the caps or covers thereof are correspondingly screw-threaded, as at 8, so as to be readily turned thereon and held frictionally. By screw-threaded, l mean that the parts are given the form of a screwthread, not necessarily having the screwthreads turned in their corresponding or cooperating surfaces. This may be accomplished by stamping or in any other expeditions or economical way; but, I desire it understood that my invention is not confined t`o this form of cover'or closure. Any other 'suitable form may be employed that can be quickly set or adjusted in place and quickly removed, and which may be found sufficiently tight for the purpose.

l From the foregoing description, it will be understood that I have provided a compact, convenient and simple medium by which various commodities may be placed upon the market and, particularly, by means of which valve grinding composition in two grades can be packed, stored, and sold.

The container can be packed in fiat form, as shown in Fig. 1, in cartons or boxes in any desired number, or it may be folded or turned back on the median line 6 into the cylindrical form shown in Fig. 3, thus reducing its length and enabling it also to be stored in the tool-box of an automobile or in small space. It lmay also be primarily bent into this form and flattened out when required for use. When bent into the form of Fig. 3, it may be quite rigidly held thus by bending over the angular portions 9 on opposite sides in either direction, as shown in Fig. 3, this operation quite securely locking the two boxes or receptacles together. The

lines on which the portions 9 may be bent are shown in Fig. 2.

I may also make up sample packages, for display or advertising purposes, of three or more boxes, containers, or receptacles on a single holderv or card of stiff material 10, from which the boxes or receptacles may be removed as desired by releasing exible clips l1 which may be bent over to attach or detach the duplex containers. The clips 11 are made integral with the base l, being cut out or struck up therefrom during the operation of stamping out the base. Thus, it will be seen that may attach a plurality of containers or receptacles 2, 4, and or a plurality of duplex containers, to a. base, according to the objects to be accomplished. T he card or holder 10 is also a convenient and very useful means by which to handle the con-y tainers in bulk and to pack the same in cartons for transportation; and 'said card also acts as a separation medium between series of containers in a large carton to prevent them from becoming scratched, marred,I or otherwise injured in handling and transportation. The card 10 may carry or have printed thereon at opposite ends, or elsewhere, any desired advertising matter; and the size of the card may be increased as desired to carry more containers or become a medium for display and advertisement of the containers.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Fatent is:

l. A container comprising a flat, flexible base or support and a plurality of separate and independent boxes or receptacles each provided with a closure or cover, said boxes being rigidly secured by their bottoms only to said base or support.

2. A container, for holding different grades of material, comprising a base or support having mounted thereon two independent receptacles, the latter being spaced apart sufiiciently to enable their covers to be readily applied and removed, the said base "port, a pair of receptacles rigidly secured thereto, said base having between the receptacles a medium along which the same may be bent to change the relation of the receptacles.

4. In combination with apholder; means for carrying dillerent commodities, or different grades o the same commodity, comprising a plurality of boxes or receptacles, and a supporting base for the latter, said boxes being arranged on the base in spaced apart relation; and said base and holder having means by which the boxes may be detachably carried by the holder.

5. A duplex container comprising a base; two boxes secured to said base in spaced apart relation; the base being provided with means permitting it to be bent between the boxes so as to bring the latter into superposed relation and convert the container 7 A duplex container comprising a ieXible base; two boxesI secured to said base in ble base; two boxes secured to said base in spaced apart relation, whereby the base may spaced apart relation, whereby the base may be bent or folded between said boxes so as be bent or folded between said boxes so as to bring the latter into superposed relation,

5 to bring thelatter into superposed relation, and convert the containerfrom fiat form 1l and convert the container from fiat-form to to cylindrical form, and said base having cylindrical form, and said base having means by which the boxes may be locked in means by which the cylindrical form of the -superposed relation. container may be held.

10 8. A duplex container comprising a iexi- EDWARD B. GrALLAI-IER. Y 

